Going Live: James Blake

Following his appearance at this summer’s OVO Fest, JAMES BLAKE returned to Toronto and ultimately proved that while he may be “a God to men” (to faded Etsy girls), he’s a creative intellect that operates on his own level. His performance at the Kool Haus was a hundred times better than any other we’ve ever seen (Lee’s Palace and Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church included) and even in a larger spot, it was intimate and unwaveringly decapitating. After a rousing set by L.A.’s NOSAJ THING, Blake unwrapped with digital soul (“I Never Learnt To Share”) and a blinding hit (“Life Round Here”) before settling into Overgrown’s glitchy roar, his CMYK and Klavierwerke extended plays, and those covers of Feist and Joni Mitchell. At a total of 18 tracks, the Londoner held his own – even more so if you consider everyone was left looking like a deer in the headlights once “Measurements” helped with closing up shop.